Police Stopped Border Patrol From Entering Uvalde School, Officials Say

Local police on scene at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, stopped elite Border Patrol agents from entering the school when they first arrived as a shooter murdered 19 children and two teachers Tuesday, officials said. 

According to a report from The New York Times, Border Patrol agents arrived on scene “far earlier than disclosed” but were stopped by the police from entering the elementary school. 

“Officials described a harrowing series of 911 calls, including made by children inside the school,” the Times wrote. “When specially equipped federal immigration agents arrived at Robb Elementary School, local police told them to hold off from confronting the gunman, officials say.”

Breaking News: Border Patrol agents arrived far earlier than disclosed, but the Uvalde police initially kept them from entering the school, two officials said. https://t.co/n70TuFLqS5

— The New York Times (@nytimes) May 27, 2022

Initially, authorities reported that Border Patrol agents did not arrive at the school until 12:40 p.m., nearly an hour after the gunman entered the school and started firing multiple rounds of ammunition. The new report from officials claims the Border Patrol agents arrived at the elementary school much sooner but were held back from entering the building until 12:40 p.m., when they killed the shooter. 

Parents have expressed frustration with law enforcement officials over how they handled the active shooter situation immediately after arriving on scene.

Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) Director Steven McGraw said during a Friday press conference that “it was not the right decision” for law enforcement to wait for tactical backup before entering the school to take out the shooter. 

“The incident commander inside believed they needed more equipment and more officers to do a tactical breach of that point,” McGraw said, as The Daily Wire previously reported. 

“Again, I wasn’t there but I am just telling you from what we know we believe there should have been an entry as soon as you can, hey, when there is an active shooter the rules change,” McCraw continued, adding, “It is no longer a barricaded subject. You don’t have time.”

“Of course it was not the right decision!” TX DPS Director says cops should have charged #Uvalde school. “Every officer lines up stacks up, goes and finds where the rounds are being fired at and keeps shooting until the subject is dead, period.” pic.twitter.com/9qOL0jHXbx

— Virginia Kruta (@VAKruta) May 27, 2022